The Effect of Dietary Sugar Consumption on Sweet Taste Perception

The Effect of Dietary Sugar Consumption on Sweet Taste Perception

The purpose of the study is to determine how reducing the amount of simple sugars in the diet affects sweet taste perception. Healthy adult subjects will be assigned to either follow their usual diet, or to replace sugar calories with fats or starch.

The investigators hypothesize that eating less sugar will:

1. cause foods and drinks with a given amount of sugar to taste sweeter
2. cause people to prefer lower levels of sugar in foods and drinks

Inclusion Criteria:

• Good general heath (by self report)
• Consume at least 2 sugar-containing soft drinks/day on average)
• Able to control diet (select their own foods)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Major illness of any kind within the last six months, or any chronic illness
• Daily use of medication, except for birth control, vitamins, and aspirin
• Regularly consume non-nutritive sweeteners
• Pregnant women
• Gained or lost 10% or more of their body weight in the last 3 months